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Category: American (Traditional)
Neighborhood: Little Five PointsMon-Sun. 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 p.m.
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If you can find a better burger in the city, let me know!!
In my twenties, The Vortex was my refuge for weekend hangover relief. Now that I'm older, wiser, and considerably less hungover, it's my haven for empty calories that I'll never regret.
I love a place that serves breakfast all day, and the HUGE omelets are excellent. To start any meal, I tend toward the kari-kari or the tot fondue. Yep - they bring you cheese dip to enhance the already stellar tots. My mouth actually just watered when I typed that.
But the burgers...ah, sweet Moses, the burgers! My favorites: the patty melt and the blue shroom (try it as a turkey burger). I've never had a burger that was not cooked exactly to my liking and no matter how full I am, I refuse to leave a bite on the plate. The non-burger sandwiches are nothing to scoff at, either. The chicken salad, turkey wrap, and cuban are all tasty.
Burgers aside, the real reason to come to the Vortex is the atmosphere. I am consistently amazed at the diverse crowd - my biker uncle eating next to my grandmother, who's across from my stripper cousin at the bar, who just got her cigarette lit by her frat boy one night stand. Why? Because The Vortex does not discriminate - as long as you don't whine, don't ask stupid questions, don't skimp on the tip, and don't linger at your table when you're done eating. They will ask you to leave, and rightfully so - there are likely 50 hungry customers lined up outside the door who know exactly what they've come for.
This place cracks me up in a great way! I love the signs "Idiot Free Zone" and "No Whining" that are posted. Plus, you have to walk through a giant skull mouth to enter the restaurant. Love it!
I also love this lace because I went there when I was a vegetarian. I didn't think I would be able to find anything to eat other than french fries, but Atlanta is surprisingly more forward thinking and far superior than Dallas to accommodate vegetarians so well. This place did not disappoint.
I had the Chili Cheeseburger with a veggie patty and veggie chili. TO DIE FOR! The chili was spicy and the cheese was gooey, and it was vegetarian!!! I asked for jalapenos, which made the burger perfect.
Along with my burger I chose onion rings. I know everyone raves about their sweet potato fries but I'm not hugely a fan of sweet potatoes. I've also had their tots and they're pretty good, too.
I balked at one of my friends commenting on how they wanted to make a meal out of the nachos... yeah, when the nachos got to our table I could see why my friend made that comment. They were enormous. I gladly helped finish them off.
And did I mention Vortex has an awesome beer selection? They do. I don't remember how many they had but I was impressed. Plus, they serve breakfast all day long. Who wouldn't love this place?
Stopped in here after a long flight from San Francisco to Atlanta. Even though the Vortex is hyped up, it was just what the travel doctor ordered. After all, what good is being in the South if you aren't going to indulge in some ridiculously heavy food?
Two of us split the coronary burger and some sweet potato fries. So freaking good. The beer list was great, and they even have pub quiz a few times a month. I'll definitely head back here the next time I'm in Atlanta.
Sooooo, the first time I went was last month. And well some of the drama (while entertaining) did not allow for me to focus on the food. I was pushed into splitting my burger, and as a result, did not order it with my full attention to detail. Suffice it to say, my burger was DRY DRY DRY! And coupled with being bumped down the list for a table, I was not impressed. The silver lining to my crappy meal were, the fried zuc. They were good but not fab.
In an effort to be fair to this L5 institution, I went back for a lunch. Ordered another burger and this time had the sweet potato fries. Burger was still DRY, and had little to no flavor, sweet potato fries were YUMMY! But who in the world goes to a burger joint for just the sides?!?! Try it to tell your friends you went, but don't go if you want to swoon over your burger!
I go to the Vortez almost every tuesday for trivia. be warned- if you have never been to the vortex don't go on a tuesday night. the place is full of trivia teams and there is only one waitress. For being the only server in the entire place Amy does an awesome job! She always has a good attitude and even though it might take her a while to get to your table the drinks and food come out really fast. I've had the veggie burger with swiss and mushrooms and tots. I've also had the veggie chili which is awesome and highly recommended. friends of mine have had the cuban- and don't recommend it, but everything else has gotten a thumbs up.
18+ only means no kids! yeah! and there is smoking inside. they also have an awesome selection of seasonal and loca beers. the laughing skull beer is expecially good.
I thought long and hard about what to give the vortex. I had the double coronary as well as the Spanish fly burger. both burgers i loved. the double coronary isnt as hard as you think to finish. Im 130 lbs and i had the burger and fries that came with it and def had room left in my stomach. However, it def is a treat for the mouth. 2 grilled cheeses, 3 fried eggs, 4 strips of bacon (or was it 6) and a 1/3 lb patty makes for a great burger.
I always try and get my burgers medium rare, but most chain burger places are cutting back on that. Thats why i loved that the vortex still allows you to do that. the spanish fly burger must have been one of the juiciest burgers i have ever had. However, i felt that the chorizo that came with the burger just didnt measure up in the flavor category. Thinking back on it, i cant really remember what the chorizo tastes like. So my advice to you is to skip the spanish fly burger and to get the chilli burger. You wont regret it. I havent had an entire one, but to me, thats what the spanish fly burger wishes it could be like. flavorful, juicy like the fly burger, and you could really taste the chilli, it was awesome.
OH and THE MOST IMPORTANT THING. take the 2 dollar hit and get the sweet potato fries OMG THEY ARE SOOOO GOOD. they are at least twice as good as the regular fries. all my friends who got regular fries tastes some of mine (i was kinda hoarding it all to myself) and they all wished they got it. they were sweet, crispy on the outside, moist on the inside, but not over fried like a lot of fries can be, and there were A TON OF THEM.
so 5 stars for a tourist trap? how come? well if we compare prices, its about the same as chillis or fridays or w.e. but you get a ton more food, the burgers are better cooked here, and you get the sweet potato fries. OMG im drooling about those fries right now. if a place can make me drool while im writing a review about it, it def gets a 5
I would always recommend this location over the Midtown one, but I'm a huge fan of Little 5 Points.
In any case, this is a fantastic restaurant. The burgers are wonderful - I think they are the best non-bison burgers in the city. There are lots of creative styles, BBQ, chili, pile-as-much-crap-on-it-as-you-can, etc.
There is also a great beer list. Always good stuff on draft, great Belgians, Old Engine Oil, etc. Other drinks are plentiful too.
The atmosphere here is really unique, from the skull entrance to all the random stuff hanging on the walls. I especially like the old BMW motorcycle with the skeleton hanging from the ceiling.
Know that sometimes the place has really long waits, and sometimes it is incredibly smoky and not worth it, if you aren't a smoker. But usually it isn't bad.
big blue buffalo is my favorite burger. Gina is my favorite server and you will not be able to think of too many beers that they don't have in a bottle or on draft.
I had not been to this location since I moved back to Atlanta. Everything inside was pretty much the same as I remembered.
We waited about 15 minutes to get seated. Our waiter was really awesome and attentive, but it took 45 minutes for us to get our food (2 burgers, 1 tot, 1 sweet potato fry). That's just stupid. I don't know what the deal was as everyone else who ordered around the time we did was getting served...food was great as usual, but 45 minutes is just too effing long to wait so 3 stars for you Vortex!
As an aside, I saw a guy next to us order the Elvis which is a burger with peanut butter and bananas. Grody. Then he put tabasco on it. Wow.
I hit up the bar to try the Elvis burger which is the burger with bacon, fried bananas, and peanut butter. I was really looking forward to checking this out this slightly bizarre combination. I was interested in the novelty and experience of it, but I didn't really think it would be some burger revelation in terms of flavor and taste. I think I was pretty satisfied with that considered. All the components were solid and the flavors were pretty interesting but it wasn't something I'd probably order again. My main issue with the burger was the amount of peanut butter - I think there was WAY too much on there and it overwhelmed a lot of the other flavors. I tried to scrap most of it off but I guess the damage was already done as it still seemed to be too much. Anyway, the burger was a nice medium-rare as requested which was nice. I ordered mine with fries which were decent but not great - I might skip those.
4
I've been to The Vortex a couple of times over the years, but have never been all that impressed.… Read more »
There isn't much that hasn't been said already about the Vortex. It's one of my first choices on an average night when I don't feel like cooking, because of its familiar, laid-back atmosphere. Not to mention it's hard to go wrong with anything on the menu. I love that all their hamburgers have the option of substituting red meat with several other types of animal flesh or plant matter in convenient patty form.
Because the Vortex is one of the last remaining establishments that don't attempt to be "family friendly", you can actually smoke inside. Ain't nothing better than a burger, a beer, and a good cigarette, all enjoyed without enduring the ear-splitting sounds made by people's unruly sex trophies.
There is no better place than L5P for The Vortex. Of the two locations in Atlanta I feel this one has the most character and life about it.
Known for their burgers, and strict rules The Vortex is a place where I think most servers would want to work. On the menu you'll find warnings about how you must act and what they will do to you if certain regulations are broken.
The Burgers are fantastic. For an everyday burger in Atlanta you aren't going to find a better locale. Consistent, juicy, and all around amazingness between a bun served in several different ways. My personal favorite is the Black and Blue. Blackened Hamburger with a Blue Cheese spread.
Other than their unique take on burgers you can't come without trying the Nacho Tots, Tater Chips, or Fiesta do Spuds. Whatever you want to call them, it's heaven from Idaho in my eyes. A mound of freshly made Tater tots with Chili, Cheese, Onions, and Peppers on top. The tots stay firm and don't loose their body assuring crisp bites every time! I can't wait to go back just talking about them!!!!
Everyone in Atlanta should stop in and try The Vortex. The staff is wonderful and always there for a great laugh, good times, and always ready to make sure you're in check. Enjoy the Skull!
Simply great burgers. Lots of choices of what to put on them, from the mundane to the truly unique. No matter how busy it is, your food gets to you in a reasonable amount of time. Our burgers have always been done just right - and they come with tater tots if you want them! Excellent. Take some time to read the "house rules" thoroughly while you're waiting at your table; probably the most reasonable ones I've seen outlined.
I don't think I've ever seen a burger joint with such an impressive single-malt scotch list. Even the non-burgers are good, I once had the "gyro-shima" which was an interesting gyro with wasabi sauce. I think I *may* have paused to take a breath in the middle of devouring it. Fantastic food and drink selections without a shred of being pretentious; my kind of place.
Two slight disadvantages to this location: parking can be very difficult to get depending on when you stop by, and the Vortex itself is *very* cramped. Pushing your (wobbly) chair a few inches back from your (small, wobbly) table may not be an option sometimes. The food makes everything worthwhile though.
Love this place. Like Man Vs. Food, I would skip getting the Double Coronary Burger, or commonly called the Double-Bypass Burger. I have had it twice. It is delicious. But, just stick with the coronary burger and not the double-coronary. Additonally, they have giant beer glasses, which I love. Two Thumbs Up. Don't bring a group. Stick to two or three people.
The Vortex in L5P is a slice of heaven! I have nothing but great things to say. They have the best burgers in town and they reinvented the tater tot (which I am a HUGE fan of)! I placed a Togo this time on a busy Saturday afternoon. I ordered a burger and tots and a BLT..... with tots.
Now, the parking in L5P can make you homicidal. I drove into the pay lot in front of JMD and Savage pizza. I told the guy I was picking up a Togo and he let me park... Free and in his last spot!!
I walked in as my order was coming out and the service was great! The bartender was very nice.
When I got home, I had the biggest BLT I've ever seen in my life!! The portions were huge. After eating 10lbs of tots and laying on the floor (like my dog after eating everyone's food) for several hours, I was able to enjoy the rest of my day!
The L5p location is the real deal. The people are great to watch and you get quite a few characters working there too!! An Atlanta *must eat*!!
I give this place points for originality. For one, they have a lot of really unique burgers to try. Second, the servers like to give you attitude (a la Ed Debevic's, if you've ever been there). Third, you can get tater tots with your burger instead of fries. Yum!
Unfortunately, all the unique toppings in the world can't hide what just isn't that great of a burger. The patty itself is, quite frankly, bland, dry, and slightly overcooked. I got the Elvis Burger, which had fried bananas, bacon, and peanut butter (along with a side of tots). It was a really interesting combination, and I'm glad I tried it. It was tasty, but I'm not sure I'd get those toppings again. As I mentioned, though, the patty itself was disappointing. The tots were good, however.
I probably won't go back, but I'm glad I finally tried it after years curiosity.
I have stumbled out of this a few too many times. So to say I love this spot is an understatement.
I need to say that Carla is awesome and not a bad bartender on top of it.
I had a great sandwich when I was there last. The special was a Soft Shell Crab sandwich. It was a whole, deep fried, Soft Shell Crab on a hamburger bun topped with what in my stupor seemed to be an aioli. It was fantastic and I hope they have it more often.
The burgers are good and they have a serious assortment of beers to choose from. La fin du Monde and Delirium Nocturnum are a good move.
Went to the L5P for the first time over the weekend. We were seated in ity bitty bar area in the front. Our table was very wobbly, this sucked. We moved to the table next to use when the people who were previously seated there left. Life was much better after we switched.
I had a naked bison burger and tots - I'm a pretty boring eater. Others at the table had the Elvis Burger (Peanut butter, fried pickles and bacon), the Double Coronary, and the Chicken Melt. We all had tots....yummmm tots. Everyone liked their food. Nothing fancy, just good ol' American burgers.
Special shout out to the very drunk girls at the bar who provided us with entertainment. Your singing and climbing all over the bar stools and the guys next to you was fun to watch. Definitely made for a unique experience. The bar wasn't the same when you left.
I've been here a few times for burgers and beers. They have a nice variety of burgers (as well as other food on the menu) covering just about any flavors that you may be craving on your beef and a great selection of cold beers (mostly bottles, not much on tap).
I like the Texas burger (burger w/ BBQ sauce and fried jalapenos on Texas toast) washed down with a pint of Red Brick brown ale (local beer of Atlanta).
Certainly worth a try.
Best Burger..Hands down
two words: Yokohama Mama Burger w/ a fried egg on top. Well 9 words. The juices run down my hands and make me so happy! Love this place love the environment love the people.
Plus, their beer selection is great!
If you are dying for a really good burger with a creative touch, this is the place. They have the best burgers and will let you build it any way you like. This is an adult restaurant, that caters to us biker types and has a screened in patio for eating with a view. Love the atmosphere and the food. Service is pretty descent most times, with the occasional oversight when they are busy. The portions are large so bring your appetite. The menu also has plenty of suggestions if you not sure what you have a taste for. Try the fried zucchini or the hummus appetizers, they are good.
This place rocks.
Yet another locale on our 'places to go when you're undecided' list for all around enjoyment of the food and extreme lack of children!
We've always tended to avoid going during peak times (lunch, biker night, trivia, poker, etc), so there's only been maybe a half dozen times we've had to wait for any length of time.
I've yet to complete the menu, but the food is tasty and I hardly ever finish a meal in one go.
Starting with the decor, it's fun. There's always something to eyeball while you're waiting for your food or during a lull in conversation.
Receiving your menu, The 'Stuff You Really Need to Know' section, while pretentious, is also fun and gives you the instant conversation starter for business lunches or the late evening date.
I've never eaten the breakfast items. It's just never seemed like a standout when compared to the burgers they serve.
Apps:
We've tried all but two of them and they're mostly standard fare.
Kari Kari - While tasty and of a larger portion size than the Highlander, has often been fried a little too long. And while it's nice that there are TWO different dipping sauces served with it, the Highlander's solo dipping sauce is better than either of them.
Sweet Potato Fries - I'm always happy to see these offered when I'm eating bar food. As such I almost always order these and they're hardly ever wrong.
Fried Zucchini - This is a little off the beaten path for what you might find in a dive. The crispy character of the exterior matched with the consistency of the Zucchini is incredible on it's own or dipped in Ranch dressing. I NEVER eat Ranch dressing on anything else. Here, I enjoy it.
Burgers:
This is my favorite place in the city.
My current favorite is the "Blue 'Shroom Burger" - They proclaim that it's a half pound of pure deliciousness topped with a thick blue cheese spread, sautéed mushrooms and bacon. They also claim you'll see God. I don't know about the second part, as I'm usually focusing on that sweet, savory joy occurring in my mouth with my eyes squeezed shut. They're spot on with that first bit though.
I've tried probably half of their burgers at this point and they're all tasty in their own right. There could be a dud on the menu, but my guess is that the rest are just as good if your palate is amenable.
Sandwhiches:
Cap'N Larry's Porkin' Pirate - This is grilled Texas
toast topped with sliced pepper-roasted pork,
Monterey jack cheese, and spicy honey barbecue
sauce. It tastes as good as it sounds. It's not a stand out however. I wasn't disappointed, I just wasn't impressed. The rest of the description on the menu was enjoyable enough to make me try it however. This was money well spent to know what the world looks like through Cap'n Larry's eyes.
The Vortex Cuban - I had hoped for better. I'm also kind of disappointed that this is probably the only item on the menu that goes out of it's way to say 'AS IS - NO SUBSTITUTIONS!'
The Turkey Wrap - The wife likes this one so much that we've often ordered one for her to take home and eat the next day for Lunch. They get kind of wet really quickly from the Salsa however, so if you tend to talk and eat slowly over a 50 minute period, make sure you set them on their ends to drain. Otherwise you're going to have a soggy mess by the time you get to the second half of your wrap. Not bueno!
I appreciate the fact that they serve Paulaner on tap here and that you have the option of Lemons OR Oranges on the side. A lot of places around here seem to overlook the Oranges. This is a key factor is choosing The Vortex over Mellow Mushroom for a few drinks.
The hours are okay, but sometimes they're just not late enough to meet up with the Wife after work: A midnight close for Sunday -Thursday. The 3am on Friday and Saturday is much more attractive.
Most of our encounters with the wait-staff have been good, if not great. I haven't seen him there in a few months, but Calvin has been an awesome waiter there for years. He's never botched our order or taken a long time.
Sometimes though, things aren't great. Just the other day a young lady tried to tell me that it took so long to bring our beer out because they were having problems pouring properly due to the weather. That was a load of Tater-tots. When it finally came to the table the beer was warm. Some people just don't know how to pour. At least she remembered the Oranges, as sometimes they need to be reminded on that too.
Your experience ultimately depends on the experience of the individual server as TVB&G has got their atmosphere and their menu pretty well honed, and their kitchen staff well trained. In 50+ visits over the last few years I've only ever had to send something back once.
PS - The potato salad isn't made the way I've traditionally made and enjoyed it, but it's pretty damn tasty with it's sour cream base. It's only fault lies in the fact that the bacon is sometimes soggy from having been ensconced by 'wet tater' for awhile.
I don't eat hamburgers on a regular basis, but my last two have been from the Vortex. Burger medium rare with provolone and tots. PBR tall boy in one hand, yummy, juicy burger in the other - perfect. Totally worth the food coma I'll be in two hours after eating the whole thing.
The decor is so much fun. I mean, how many places have a motorcycle hanging from the ceiling and their entrance is a giant skull? The waitstaff seem like they're having a good time and they are always nice and really efficient. Smoking in a restaurant! Yeah, you can, at the Vortex.
One star off because I think their beer prices are a little inflated. It's $4 and under for me and if your draft beers don't have a least 5, then I think you're expensive.
Ok, so see you next time the meat craving kicks in!
So, here's the thing...
Vortex, I'd usually give you 3.5 stars, but the fact that I can smoke and not have to listen to the musings of underage Hanna Montana fans garners a little extra love from me.
Since moving to Atlanta from LA, L5P has become one of my mainstays, its reminiscent of my arty Silver Lake/Echo Park haunts in LA. Yeah, the Vortex looks a little insane from the outside, the entrance is a huge swirly skull, the interior has been described as TGI Friday's on acid, and while I agree, I could care less, the atmosphere is kickback, and the waitstaff is super competent about the offerings, both food and beer.
I adore the fact that every burger on the menu can be turned into a veggie burger, and while I'm not usually crazy about black beans, the black bean burger here is stunning, great textural profile, insane flavor, and juicy in the best way possible. If you don't seem to find the veggie burger combination you're looking for on the menu, they'll gladly customize and build your dream burger.
I dig my veggie burger with tons of pickles, the blue cheese spread, red onion, lettuce, and perfectly seasoned tomato, add a side of BBQ and I'm golden. The Vortex Veggie Melt is also pretty stunning, its marbled pumpernickel/rye bread every manner of marinated grilled veggie you can imagine between gooey slices of cheese. Don't get me started on the Veggie Club(add cucumbers for the win).....oh man, so good.
Lets not forget all the sides, crispy hot tater tots(you can have them covered and smothered with every kind of condiment imaginable), light crispy fried zucchini, beer batter onion rings(which are my favorite, throw one on top of my veggie burger and I'm in the midst of a food coma), sinful savory sweet potato fries.
Some may think The Vortex is overrated, I think those people might take themselves too seriously, I've never had better pub/bar food. Do it, do it over and over again. When I move back to LA in a few weeks I'm going to miss this place.
What a Little 5 hot spot! This place is both classic and legendary.
5 Stars for:
1. Their burgers are awesome. Good variety, cooked just right.
2. You can get tater tots or a salad (amongst other things) with your burger.
3. Great beer selection and bar with reasonable prices.
3. No kids allowed.
5. The door is a skull. Need I say more.
I am such a sucker for the Vortex (this Vortex). I love it so much. I will drive the 45minutes from my house to the vortex just for some awesome burger and zuccini bits or sweet potato fries.
ok, lets start with the atmosphere. Its depending on when you go, its can be dark, smokey, crowded, and loud. In other words, awesome. The bar is covered in photos of pets and the decorations are irreverant and glorious.
The staff is usually awesome but they can be a little slow depending on how busy they are. They're usually cool people and very friendly. The bartenders i've talked to are all pretty knowledgable about the amazing beers and whiskys they have on hand.
The food.......i should just say the burgers, cause thats all i ever get and they are great. The buffalo bleu burger is my personal favorite. I usually get the fried zuccini or sweet potato fries which are killer. I honestly would come here just to eat those. I also hear the tots are top shelf.
Now the good stuff. The vortex has a selection of beer that might make the guys at Brickstore a little nervous. They have a great mix of standard beers for fratboys and unusual craft brews and imports that any beer geek would be happy with. The real crown jewel of the bar is the whisky selection. They have more single malt scotch than i have ever seen in one place. Its a great mix of normal releases and special editions, i just have to try a new one every time i get down there.
I still get blamed for dragging my wife from Texas to Atlanta. Among the reasons she complains: lack of access to the foods she loves. You'd think that with 3.5 years of yelping, I'd have this stuff down pat, but she has very particular needs: a Corner Bakery within walking distance, a good authentic Indian place (wrong part of town for that), a Mexican restaurant she can tolerate (almost impossible here in the land of ground beef, refried beans and cheese covered slop), and a turkey burger and sweet potato fries as good as the one from Village Burger Bar (http://www.yelp.com/bi...).
We relatively randomly stumbled across the Vortex. My wife was insisting that I drive the Dallas for some fries and a burger. I was set to head to Flip, but she considers that a little too fancified, and I was out of options. I vaguely remembered that Vortex served sweet potato fries, and figured that she'd be able to find some sort of burger to suit her. She was pretty wary of the digs. The smoking, the naked women on the walls, the copious tattoos, doesn't make for good first impression to pregnant women. Those apprehensions disappeared when she tasted the sweet potato fries, and she thought the turkey burger was a close second to the Dallas version. I appreciated the bison burger option, and loved the tater tots. All-in-all, a successful meal. She's already sent me for a re-up, and I think I can safely knock this item off the "wishful things" list.
I do not have the requisite cojones to try the coronary bypass burger, much more the DOUBLE coronary bypass burger. I was however, in the mood for a burger and since I'm a fan of buffalo wings I ordered the Big Blue Buffalo Burger and a Sweetwater Blueberry wheat ale. I've never had a Sweetwater since I'm not from here. Pretty good, slightly sweet with a nice finish.
My burger was pretty good, it came with A LOT of Blue Cheese but it wasn't overpowering. The sauce on it was homemade and not a bad flavor compliment, it worked out well. I could have used more sauce.
My friend ordered her stand by here the 'Spanish Fly' with chorizo. I had a bite. Deliciousness! The first thing that came out of my mouth was "I ordered the wrong burger." It was just excellent.
I hate comparing one place to another but I'm going to. This place reminds me a bit of the Twisted Spoke-it's in Chicago so I don't feel so bad about comparing, since they're in different cities. They're both local, colorful, dive bar-y, places that serve good burgers. Yum.
Great burgers and tator tots. Always try to take people to Little 5 and hit this spot if they have never been to Atlanta. Its just a different world.
It was just all right for me. Not to quote Randy Jackson, but it really was. Burgers are good. Fries are as well. But the whole experience did stop quite short of an orgasm. Probably one of the better burger places in ATL, but once again, don't eat there with the premise that this will be the best burger you have ever had, or you will be disappointed.
I love this place. A lot.
Being raised by bikers (likened to being raised by wolves), my parents would frequently drag me to bars all over town so they could drink and party with friends and so I could have the bar experience before I was old enough to drink. Thus, I enjoy this bar NOT for the alcohol, but for the actual place itself.
Since then, and probably because of me, the Vortex has changed its rules and does not allow anyone under the age of 18 in the door. Please keep this in mind. You CANNOT bring your children here. Don't try to. It's not a "family" environment. It's not a "family" establishment. Yes, they serve food... but it's so you can consume something while you're drinking to help absorb and digest all that liquor you're downing. Plus, all the old, dirty bikers (whom I love BTW, you know who you are) don't want to listen to your 4 year old scream about how much they hate ketchup. And you don't want your kid pissing off an old, dirty, biker. Seriously.
Now that we're on the same level... dude, this place is awesome. A really cool atmosphere; random collections and awkward antiques cover the walls and ceilings. If it's your first time, I recommend reading the entire menu from cover to cover before doing anything else. They call themselves an "Idiot-Free Zone" and a "No Whining Zone". The staff is as friendly as they can be, but if you have a case of verbal diarrhea and start acting like a jerk, or complaining about something no one has any control over -- you can expect to find yourself outside on the sidewalk very shortly. No one cares if you don't like the annoying strippers two tables down. And no one cares if you can smell the cigarette smoke coming in through the door from the smoking area. If you don't like it -- LEAVE. There WILL be someone else who wants to sit at your table, spend their money and NOT complain. You will not be missed.
The menu is amazing. It's huge. it has everything you could possibly imagine and more. They have breakfast all day. Look at that HUGE burger menu! Don't eat beef? That's ok - me either. Pick any style burger you want from the burger menu, and you can get it with Bison, Turkey, Chicken or a Veggie Burger Patty instead. YUM! On the side, the Tater Tots are great and remind you of your school days. The French Fries, Onion Rings, and Sweet Potato Fries are great as well.
I've been a vegetarian for 8 years, but I've been coming here for at least 10 years. I've had just about everything on this menu, and I have never been disappointed. Everything is really good. It's an awesome place, an awesome experience, with awesome food, awesome people working there, awesome people eating there. It seriously doesn't get any more fun than this! I love it.
Slightly overrated, but definitely better than average. Should get 3 1/2 stars.
I for one have not quite drank the kool-aid on the Vortex yet. Having lived her for 6 years, I have been to both locations on several occasions. The burgers are good, but I personally don't think they are as good as some people think. I for one, am a fan of the cowboy burger. This 1/2 lb burger has a slice of Canadian bacon and provolone cheese with a sweet honey BBQ sauce. It's pretty tasty.
One of the highlights of visiting the Vortex is getting to enjoy the tots. Probably not the healthiest of dietary options, but on a hungover Sunday it will certainly help you get over it.
If your looking for an eclectic crowd and true local flavor visit the Vortex in L5P. Cool people, friendly servers, cold beer make for good times.
Food - B
Service - A
Atmosphere - A
The first and final stop on our Santacon adventure (and yes, we went many places in between), the Vortex is a great spot for any part of your evening.
Upon arrival, the place was packed but my trusty Yelp friends had managed to secure a table at the bar. Our waiter was very friendly and quite quick and although I was initially repulsed by the chili covered tater tots I managed to polish off a pretty large portion by the time we left.
When we returned, desperate for some food, we were a much larger party and were seated on the upstairs enclosed patio. Our waitress was, in a word, a shitshow. I believe she was more drunk than the rest of us combined (and that's saying something!). It took inordinately long for our burgers to arrive, so thank goodness they were tasty when they finally did reach us. It's a good thing I was with good company, because I'd otherwise be pretty peeved.
The Vortex still garners 4 stars from me for the quality of the food and the overall "spirit" of the place. It's a good place to bring out of towners as well.
OK! I know NOTHING about cooking since my husband does & actually likes to enjoy his dinner on the regular-- But! we ate at the L5P Vortex recently & he clued me into a secret which may not be weird or scandalous to everybody, but to my hubby it was sacrilege-- they sandbag their burgers at the Vortex!
Clearly, I also didn't know what that meant when he told me, but he was a kitchen manager for a long time in a bar-- I just did the eye widen & gasp like I TOTALLY knew that "sandbagging" was a bad, bad word.
Sandbagging is when they cook burgers in advance & put them in water-- so they can increase volume & shorten wait times by just pulling them out when they need them & throwing them on the grill for a quick warm up-- the water bath is what makes them so "juicy"-- it's actually water.
I mean, I like the sandbagged burgers fine-- enough blue cheese & we're straight-- but my hub thinks it's a cop out so I am putting his 2 stars here.
Nacho tots = 1,000 stars on the PMS rating scale.
Nachos on tots? Seriously? Yes, seriously. If they…
Read more »
After years of pouting and months of therapy I finally sort of got over the infamous "curly hair under the french toast" incident. I'm still not ready to give brunch another shot, but I returned recently and had a delicious black bean burger for dinner. And guess what????
The Mysterious Hiding Curly Black Hair did not make a cameo! Yippee!
I love Vortex but not this Vortex. Why, you ask? Well...because the last time I went here I tore… Read more »
Great burgers, fantastic beer menu and eclectic atmosphere = great times!
I love love love the midtown Vortex, so I should be more pleased with the one in Little Five Points. I mean, you get to walk through a giant skull to get in! But I'm just not in love with this place.
The parking situation is always an ordeal. There's almost always a wait for a table. The tables on the main floor are too close together to make it easy to navigate around. I know all of these things are related to the fact that this place is popular.
Some of the staff are fantastic, but not all. I understand that they're allowed to be rude if I'm being a prat, but just placing a simple order without any special requests or demands should not result in lots of attitude. Or maybe that's part of the appeal.
But the food is, as always, fantastic. Rather big portions, which I actually kind of dislike, as I usually interpret "they give you a lot of food" as an indicator that they substitute quantity for quality or service. (The Olive Garden model, I shall call it.) Since the quality at the Vortex is top rate, and the service usually is, I'll forgive it here.
did me so wrong here, when I know they can do me sort of right.
fucked me pretty bad actually. Here I had this half day off, could go anywhere, and I decide to go here - mostly because its basically across the street. but STILL.
Had eaten at the Midtown location the other week and the burger was decent. Decided to come here, and wow. medium turned into a well done puck. flavorless. the only plus I can give this burger was that I was getting some protein. just not much going on with it, so I'm not gonna waste words.
the plantains with sour cream are pretty tasty though. but that shits fried. with extra fat on it. seriously, it can't go wrong.
oh best part was when I heard the special. something about some fish meal or something kind of fancy sounding. my eyes kinda bugged. I was like WTF? at the vortex? It's burgers and beers dude. nobody's wearing a tie here. what's next? a comedy club? zing.
anyway, I ended up choking down the burger without complaining. But the universe required balance so I headed over to Star Provisions immediately after. I admit that eating a 2nd lunch was a bit of a burden, but Star hooked it up with a nice Thai beef salad. I felt too full, but much happier.
damn you Vortex.
I know they can do better, but I'm afraid to go back. that f'ing burger was a 2.5. for reals.
I'm visted the one in Midtown and reviewed it, but it was several years ago. I had the pleasure of visiting this location for dinner prior to a show a the Variety Playhouse. We arrived around 6pm, so there was plenty of seating. It wasn't overly smoky or loud. The server was attentive. We didn't feel ignored or talked down to at all.
As for the food, we got the sweet potato fries appetizer. It was a huge portion and the fries were great. I had to stop myself from munching on them so I wouldn't fill up before my meal came. I got the buffalo & blue veggie burger with a side of tater tots and my dad got the steakhouse burger medium rare with fried zucchini. I enjoyed my burger. The blue cheese spread was generous and yummy. I think it would've worked better with real meat, but I still enjoyed it. The tater tots were up to their usual standard. My dad completely finished his burger and raved about the fried zucchini. We ended up taking home most of the sweet potato fries, some fried zucchini, and tater tots. I can't wait to get home and indulge in some fried goodness.
If I had one complaint, it would be that the space is small. It can be difficult to get past tables to get to the bathroom and servers had to navigate fairly carefully to avoid hitting customers. I'll definitely be back the next time I find myself in Little 5 Points.
I really enjoyed eating at The Vortex, great atmosphere and great food. I loved the sweet potato fries. I know there are other Vortex locations around ATL, but visit the one in Little Five Points, it's my favorite.
We had to park down the street, but it was worth it. :-)
Neighborhood: Midtown
Category: Burgers
Neighborhood: Little Five Points
Category: Mexican
Neighborhood: Little Five Points
Category: Restaurants
Atlanta, GA
Category: Greek
Neighborhood: Little Five Points
Category: Pizza
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